Toyota
South Africa has committed R3.2 million to UKZN
for the period 2006/2007 for various bursary and
scholarship programmes. The symbolic handover
of this investment took place on 25 June 2007.

Executive Director of the UKZN
Foundation, Mr Bruno van Dyk, accepted the cheque
on behalf of the University. He Said, “Toyota
has always been a valuable partner and we have
had a long and distinguished relationship with
them.” He added that Toyota has also invested
a great deal in the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
The partnership with Toyota has added tremendous
value in a number of different endeavours at
UKZN.

Presenting the cheque, Mr Lindsay
Clive-Smith, Manager for Housing and Social
Investment at Toyota South Africa, promised
that the company will continue to support UKZN
and to increase its investment in the University
in the years to come. He also acknowledged UKZN
staff for their efficient co-operation with
Toyota. He emphasised that Toyota’s contribution
to the University should be seen as an investment
and that there is always a return on this investment.

Steinhoff
International Holdings Ltd, the worldwide brand,
has entered into a three-year sponsorship agreement
with the UKZN Hockey Club.

Part of the sponsorship agreement,
which was officially launched on 20 June is
that Steinhoff International will brand 12 UKZN
teams in the Internal Residence League and seven
teams in the KwaZulu-Natal Coastals Provincial
Hockey League. This is the first sponsorship
of its kind for the 71 year old Sport Admin
Club. The Club has a proud history and has produced
around 40 players who have played for South
Africa. The Hockey Club competitive teams compete
in the KwaZulu-Natal Coastals Hockey Indoor
and Outdoor Leagues from January to September
each year.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Malegapuru
Makgoba thanked Steinhoff International for
sponsoring and branding UKZN Hockey teams. He
added that to create a sustainable relationship
with the sponsor “we must work on good
principles and ethics to build it”. He
hopes this relationship is the beginning of
many others in which UKZN will engage.

Head of Sport Administration
on the Howard College campus Mr Andile Nqini
said, “It’s an honour and privilege
to receive this sponsorship. This is the best
we have ever had and hope that you will maintain
this relationship in many years to come. We
see this gesture as a way to change the lives
of our youth at the residences.” Ms Karen
Sharrat, Co-ordinator of Hockey in the Sport
Administration Division on the Howard College
campus, facilitated negotiations for the sponsorship.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research,
Knowledge Production and Partnerships) Professor
Ahmed Bawa views the sponsorship as a special
honour for UKZN. “The bulk of the sponsorship
that UKZN receives comes from outside of South
Africa. This kind of sponsorship is also special
as it opens up the way for South African universities
and companies to engage in partnerships.”

Mr
Derrik Matthew, Marketing Director of Steinhoff
International says that negotiations to enter
into this agreement started in March last year.
“We are passionate about supporting sport
and we are also supporting other sporting codes
at other institutions such as rugby and soccer,”
says Mr Matthew. He adds that he is also impressed
by the proud history of UKZN sport.

The
University will honour six outstanding and well
known individuals for their distinguished contribution
to society by conferring the degrees honoris
causa at the University’s graduation
ceremonies in 2008. Educationist and activist
Professor Kader Asmal (Doctor of Laws), spiritualist
and advocate of the poor Sri Swami Sahajananda
(Doctor of Theology), historian and orator Mr
David Rattray (Doctor of Social Science), sociologist
and human rights activist Professor Lena Dominelli
(Doctor of Social Science), theologian and human
rights activist Father Michael Lapsley (Doctor
of Theology) and botanist and conservationist
Mrs Elsa Pooley (Doctor of Science) will be awarded
the first honorary degrees from the University
of KwaZulu-Natal.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Malegapuru
Makgoba, said that, ‘the University is
honoured that all of the nominees have accepted
the award and I am personally delighted at the
prospect of having such an illustrious group
inscribe their names on the roll of honorary
graduates of this Institution.’

The
degree honoris causa can be conferred
upon any person who has rendered distinguished
services in the advancement of one or more of
the branches of learning recognised by the University
who in some other field of endeavour (e.g. the
advancement of democracy, social justice or
through social service, community, leadership,
economic enterprise, public affairs, philanthropy,
the performing and creative arts) has a personal
record of distinguished service and/or achievement
which is deemed appropriate for the University
to recognise.

*At
the time of publication the photographs of Professor
Lena Dominelli, Father Michael Lapsley and Mrs
Elsa Pooley were unavailable.

Professor
Malegapuru Makgoba, Vice-Chancellor and Principal
will be awarded the prestigious Fellowship of
the Imperial College Faculty of Medicine in
the United Kingdom in October this year in recognition
of his outstanding contributions to medical
research, international public health and to
university administration.

In
announcing Professor Makgoba’s nomination,
Principal of Imperial College, Professor Stephen
Smith wrote: “Fellowships of the Imperial
College Faculty of Medicine are awarded to persons
not members of the Faculty who are of outstanding
distinction in fields related to medical science
or particularly supportive of the aims and vision
of the Faculty.”

An
internationally-recognised molecular immunologist,
Professor Makgoba has received many honours
and distinctions, including the Science-for-Society
Gold Medal of the Academy of Science of South
Africa in 2002. In 2003, he was elected member
of the founding Co-ordinating Committee of the
Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise. In 2006 he was
selected as one of the 65 Caring Physicians
of the World by the World Medical Association
in recognition of outstanding contributions
to “care, ethics and science” thereby
consolidating his place as a role model for
young scientists.

Professor
Makgoba is a prolific author and has authored
several ground-breaking scientific papers. In
1989 he co-authored two of the most cited papers
in immunology. Nine of his publications have
been cited more than 100 times, four of which
have been cited more than 500 times, a remarkable
record.

Professor
Makgoba obtained his MBChB from the former University
of Natal and a Doctor of Philosophy in Human
Immunogenetics from Oxford University. He is
a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
of London and was elected as foreign Associate
Member of the United States National Academy
of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine.

The
British National Museum of Science and Industry
selected his work in 1994 for a permanent display
popularising state-of-the-art science in the
20th Century.

“It
is indeed a privilege to have an academic of
the stature of Professor Makgoba at the helm
of the University. I am not surprised by yet
another international accolade brought to the
University through the distinguished scientific
contribution of Professor Makgoba and I congratulate
him on behalf of the University Community,”
said Professor Vincent Maphai, Chair of Council.

The
Fellowship will be presented at a special dinner
on 2 October at the Science Museum in South
Kensington to mark the 10th anniversary of the
Faculty of Medicine and the Centenary of Imperial
College.

The
Umsomomvu Youth Fund (UYF), in partnership with
the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development,
the eThekwini Municipality and the Youth Entrepreneurship
Campaign of 2010 hosted the 4th Annual Entrepreneurs
Development Conference at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli
International Convention Centre from 19-22 June.

It ended with a prestigious gala dinner where
the UYF awarded its Legacy Project to the University
of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Entrepreneurship
(CFE). The award of R500 000 was presented to
Professor Malome Khomo, Director of CFE opening
new avenues for interested students in youth
entrepreneurship research.

“The Legacy Project Award is a mechanism
of sustaining and contributing to a youth entrepreneurial
legacy,” said Mr Malose Kekana, Chief
Executive Officer of UYF. The award is renewable
based on project performance and the availability
of funds.

The conference theme Unleashing
Youth Entrepreneurship Towards 2010 and Beyond,
was also aimed at identifying business opportunities
related to 2010 and developing interventions
that can assist budding entrepreneurs to access
these services.

The
CFE believes that the legacy project aligns
naturally with the core mission of CFE and UKZN.
It is striving to enhance postgraduate scholarship
in entrepreneurship, to provide practitioners
with skills in entrepreneurship through workshops
and seminars, and to disseminate research findings
through academic publications and conferences.

UKZN’s
Student Funding Centre (SFC) has received the
2006 National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS)
Bronze Award in the category “Most Improved
Merged Institution”. The award was presented
to the Director of the SFC, Mr Jerry Moodley
by the Minister of Education, Ms Naledi Pandor,
at a ceremony held in Cape Town, in April.

Twenty
three tertiary institutions receive funding
from the NSFAS. In 2006 it distributed R1.216
billion, which was used to assist 106 852 students
to pay for their studies.

The SFC has been congratulated by the Executive
Dean of Students, Mr Trevor Wills, for their
good work which culminated in the award. Mr
Moodley attributed the award to the hard work
of the Loans Staff and the team work of the
other divisions in the SFC across five campuses.

Ms
Rochelle Parsons (left) celebrates
her success with one of her supervisors,
Mrs Colleen Aldous-Mycock

The
School of Biochemistry, Genetics, Microbiology
and Plant Pathology had good reason to celebrate
when Ms Rochelle Parsons, a 2006/7 honours student,
received confirmation that a paper reporting
her honours research has been accepted for publication
in the South African Journal of Wildlife
Science. Her project entitled “A
genetic index for the stripe pattern reduction
in the zebra: the Quagga Project”, represents
the findings of a novel and useful study associated
with how better to breed a more quagga-like
variant of the plains zebra.

Reviewers responded enthusiastically
to Ms Parsons’ work and praised her
for her paper’s originality, sound scientific
basis and its clear, concise and logical presentation.
“Overall, I found the manuscript fascinating,
informative and useful both scientifically
and technologically,” commented one
reviewer.

Ms Parsons, under the expert
guidance of supervisors, Mrs Colleen Aldous-Mycock
and Professor Mike Perrin, used solid population
genetic analyses in her study of quagga and
zebra striping. The quagga was driven to extinction
over a hundred years ago, but it is hypothesised
that its genes might still exist within the
plains zebra populations. By breeding plains
zebras for quagga-like traits such as reduced
striping, it might be possible to breed a
quagga look-alike.

The most significant outcome
of Rochelle’s research was the development
of a simple and efficient index to facilitate
further striping reduction via selective
breeding procedures. Overall, her research
is useful in that it develops a new technology
to improve the practical side of a project,
while demonstrating, via standard
population genetic theory, the efficacy of
the endeavour.

Mrs Aldous-Mycock, who is
immensely proud of her young student, said
that ‘it is extremely rare for an honours
student project to be published in a scientific
journal'. She added that it is even more unusual
to receive such a rave review, without any
corrections, for a paper submitted for publication.

Fourth
year Law students, Sarah Swart and Danny Hutton
from the Faculty of Law (Pietermaritzburg campus),
will participate in the 16th African Human Rights
Moot Court Competition in Senegal which takes
place in August this year. The costs of participating
in this prestigious competition have escalated
over the years with the result that some universities
are no longer able to participate. The Pietermaritzburg
campus was able, through generous sponsorship,
to raise the full cost of sending their team.
The main sponsors of their team are law firms
Venn, Nemeth and Hart of Pietermaritzburg, Deneys
Reitz of Durban and Bowman Gilfillan of Sandton.
Howard College fourth year Law students, Carl
Anne Epstein and Nishaat Lambada will also be
taking part in this competition, representing
the Howard College campus.

The
16th African Human Rights Moot Court Competition,
one of the premier human rights events on the
continent, is organized by the Centre for Human
Rights based at the Faculty of Law, University
of Pretoria, in partnership with the Faculty of
Law at Universite’ Gaston Berger in Saint-Louis,
Senegal. Approximately 70 law faculties from across
Africa and neighbouring islands send a team of
two students and a human rights law lecturer to
the competition every year. The students argue
a hypothetical human rights and international
law case before law lecturers and human rights
experts. The judges in the final round are international
human rights lawyers of the highest standing.

“It
is really good experience for aspiring law students,”
says Rob Pennefather, co-ordinator of the Moot
Court on the Pietermaritzburg campus. He stressed
that more sponsors are required to fund the teams
as costs of participation continue to escalate
annually.

HEARD
APPOINTMENT AS SECRETARIAT OF THE UNAIDS/WORLD
BANK ECONOMICS REFERENCE GROUP (ERG)

Ms Jacqui Hadingham and
Professor Alan Whiteside

The
Health Economics and AIDS Research Division
(HEARD) has been appointed as the Secretariat
of the UNAIDS/World Bank Economics Reference
Group (ERG) for the period 2006 to 2009.
HEARD’s role is to govern and implement
the ERG agenda, convening eight to 10 core members
from sub-economic disciplines. Topics and focus
areas emanate from the World Bank and UNAIDS,
and are tied to its grant to the Secretariat
agency. This appointment is therefore highly
significant, both strategically and materially.
The UNAIDS/World Bank ERG was formed in 2001
as an advisory body to provide expert economic
advice on policy and operations around HIV.
It serves as a forum for analysis and review,
and informs UNAIDS, the World Bank, the UN and
national policymakers on key findings and research
trends.

The first meeting of the ERG was held on 3 and
4 May in Washington DC, focusing on the theme:
"Analysis of the Labour Market Implications
of Scaling up Services for HIV Prevention and
AIDS Treatment, Care and Mitigation". HEARD’s
Ms Jacqui Hadingham and Professor Alan Whiteside
co-ordinated and attended the meeting, along
with economists from various sub-disciplines,
and representatives from the World Bank and
UNAIDS.

Three background papers were
presented to stimulate discussion and provide
information on issues being researched in the
field. Gaps in the current economic knowledge
base were identified. It was apparent that much
information is still needed in order to make
informed and effective decisions with regard
to setting policy around HIV programmes and
funding at a global level.

After two days of interesting
debate and discussion around the substantive
topic, six topics emerged that will be considered
as possible foci for future meetings:

Labour
market implications of scaling up HIV and AIDS
interventions: distribution,
equity and cost-effectiveness of interventions

UKZN
graduate, Ms Catherine Aitken (22), is in the
top ten candidates who passed part one of the
South African Institute of Chartered Accountants
(SAICA) examination this year. She came fifth
and also obtained honours in this examination.
Ms Aitken is currently serving articles at Price
Waterhouse Cooper (PWC) in Durban. PWC supported
her University studies and she has continued to
excel.

This year’s SAICA results are significant,
six of the top ten candidates are women and
of the top ten qualifiers, five passed with
honours (75% or higher). Professor Lindsay Mitchell,
Head of the School of Accounting said, “The
School of Accounting is indeed proud of Ms Aitken’s
outstanding achievement. There were over 4100
candidates who sat in this examination.”

Ms Aitken completed her BCom
Honours summa cum laude last year and
she comes from a family of academics. Her brother
Mr Robert Aitken, is a qualified CA and an alumnus
of UKZN while her late grandfather, Professor
Arthur Rayner, served the University and specialised
in Biometry and Statistics.

A
delegation from Uganda visited the School of Audiology,
Occupational Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology
recently to explore the Schools’ Speech-Language
Pathology course with the aim of developing a
similar course at their home institution, Makerere
University.

UKZN’s Speech-Language and Audiology
programmes have been at the forefront of curriculum
change in making training current and appropriate
for the South African and African context.

Ms Jenny Pahl, Academic Co-ordinator for Speech-Language
Pathology explains, “We are in a good
position to share our experiences with institutions
in Africa. We began training in the province
of KwaZulu-Natal where there were few Speech-Language
Therapists and Audiologists. Thus, we faced
numerous challenges which are similar to challenges
faced by the University of Makerere. We have
a strong focus on community based rehabilitation
as do the representatives of the NGOs who were
a part of the visiting delegation.”

Delegates included a group of stakeholders
from the Makerere University Medical School,
Mulago Hospital, Uganda Society for Disabled
Children, Kyambogo University, Mulapo National
Referral Hospital and Voluntary Service Overseas
which sponsored the exploratory tour.

Speaking on behalf of the group Ms Sarah Bagnall
of Mulago Hospital said, “We have learnt
a lot from the excellent speech and language
pathology programme of this University and we
are certain it will be applicable in a Ugandan
context. We hope to establish a long term link
with the University of KwaZulu-Natal.”

Ms
Pahl, says, “We are not only training
for South Africa, but for Africa and the world.
South Africa is the only country in Africa that
offers this course and within South Africa it
is offered by the University of KwaZulu-Natal
and the University of Stellenbosch.”

UKZN’s
Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) is helping
rural women market their craft and beadwork across
the globe.

SIFE
members recently organised an exhibition for the
King Shaka Arts and Craft Co-operation Project
on the Westville campus. The women hail from different
areas around Durban including KwaNyuswa and Marianhill.
Women from Nduduzweni Centre for the Blind were
also invited.
International students and UKZN staff were invited
to view and buy this work.

Speaking
on behalf of King Shaka Co-operation Project,
Mrs Angela Mlambo acknowledged the role played
by UKZN Commerce students who help women with
sound innovative business ideas to sustain their
businesses.

Mr
Walter Whitehead, a BCom Finance student, is leading
the project to establish international links and
find markets. SIFE members, Miss Dumile Gumede
and Mr Zama Dladla, say that students are exploring
a project where women will accommodate guests
for the 2010 World Cup in rural homesteads. They
are also facilitating the building of a bakery
called Africano Bread which will be launched in
July. Rural women have been invited to join as
partners with established business people in this
venture. Other students’ projects being
explored include an entrepreneur project, Ukukhanya
project, Eyethu project and the 2010 Schools’
Project.

The
University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Leadership
and Equity Advancement programme identified
that there was an under-representation of women
in senior academic, management and leadership
positions on all five campuses. In an attempt
to correct this imbalance, the project Women
in Research and Leadership Leverage (WILL) was
born. WILL has a two-fold approach to address
this concern that is a combination of skills
development and hands-on research. The College
of Health Sciences Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor
Leana Uys introduced Project WILL to the College
in November last year. Headed by Professor Quarraisha
Abdool-Karim, a leading infectious diseases
epidemiologist, the committee consists of women
who have excelled in producing research in their
respective fields and who volunteer their skills
and time to mentor young, aspiring scientists
within the College.

The key objectives of WILL are to generate data
concerning women in research and leadership
and formulate strategies to raise productivity
and participation, identify priority leadership
and research development needs for women academics,
develop a University-wide database of women
in leadership and research; develop a seminar
series to build women’s knowledge and
skills in the areas of leadership and research;
administer mini-fellowships and team research
projects which pair experienced women researchers
with lesser experienced ones; develop and strengthen
existing ties among women staff across disciplines
and campuses; encourage learning between participants
as a result of one another’s experiences;
and develop a model that could serve as a basis
for women’s leadership development programs
in other institutions of higher education.

The College of Health Sciences Project WILL
offers regular workshops that aim to develop
successful scientists of international standards.
Topics of workshops include manuscript writing,
proposals for grants, statistics, editing, etc.
A database has been developed which includes
a list of the mentors and their mentees as well
as the areas of training required by mentees.
Professor Quarraisha Abdool-Karim said that
the primary objective of Project WILL in the
College of Health Sciences was to ‘demystify
the steps to progress for women scientists’.

UKZN
has 80 student exchange agreements in 21 countries.
Students pay for tuition and accommodation at
their home institution and do not pay for these
services when they go abroad. Credits gained at
overseas institutions are accepted for their degree
back home.

While UKZN students are preparing to go abroad
35 students from universities in the US, Canada
and the Netherlands are at UKZN during the winter
break to experience South African culture.

Mr
Stiv Twigg from England is doing a BA degree
in International Communication at Temple University
of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, USA. He is
studying isiZulu Language and Culture, Cultural
Diversity and Rainbow Nation as modules. Miss
Stephanie Hunt is doing a BA degree in English
Literature at the University of Wisconsin –
Eau Claire in the USA. She is taking modules
in isiZulu Language and Culture, and Service
Learning.

Receiving
the international students at an orientation
programme on 22 June, Director of UKZN International
Dr Roshen Kishun assured them that the University
would take care of them. He also advised them
to make the right decisions to protect themselves
from the scourge of HIV/AIDS. Staff from different
Departments and Units advised the students on
services available. Dr Kishun said some of the
students were going to visit eight service learning
sites in KwaZulu-Natal, where they will interact
with communities.